Billiards is a popular game worldwide. Many different styles and designs of billiards tables have been developed, typically in the standard sizes of 4 foot.times.8 foot, 41/2 foot.times.91/2 foot, 5 foot.times.10 foot and 6 foot.times.12 foot. Typically such a billiards table comprises a wooden frame and support legs supporting a one- or three-piece slate playing surface covered with felt and surrounded by rails having a resilient inner edge to facilitate rebounding of the billiards balls in play. However, such billiards tables are useful only for indoor play, since the wood components are not able to withstand climatic conditions such as rain or extreme humidity, heat or cold, and parasitic infestation.
The present invention provides a billiards table designed for both indoor and outdoor use. Virtually all components of the billiards table of the subject invention are cast in concrete or milled from natural stone, preferably concrete, and are thus able to withstand severe climatic conditions and are impervious to parasitic infestation.
The use of concrete or other cast or natural stones for this purpose presents unique problems. Many of the components, when formed of stone or concrete, are too fragile to be bolted to other components in a conventional manner without cracking or breaking, and tolerances must be exact. The felt cannot be stapled to the playing surface in a conventional fashion, since staples will not penetrate concrete or stone, yet it must be secured so as to prevent shifting and stretching while at the same time permitting replacement with relative ease. Particularly for outdoor use on soft surfaces such as grass, levellers typically disposed at the foot of the supporting legs are ineffectual, yet on such a surface precise levelling is important because the supporting structure will tend to sink into the ground unevenly, and rises and settles unevenly over the freeze-thaw cycle in colder climates. The playing surface itself must be resistant to extreme climatic conditions, and particularly to warping and shrinking under such conditions.
The subject invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a billiards table in which, in a preferred embodiment, the components are virtually all composed of concrete, yet assemble to provide a billiards table which provides the same quality of play as conventional wood frame tables. Angle irons and plate assemblies embedded in the more delicate components affix such components to the frame and playing surface. Attachment of the felt is accomplished through the use of retaining strips embedded in slots moulded or cut into the rails. Levellers are provided at the tops of the supporting legs so that the frame may be easily levelled. The playing surface is composed of a specially designed concrete/grout mix resistant to warpage, shrinking and cracking, and is affixed to the frame through a series of levelling bolts to prevent and compensate for warping.
These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description set out below.